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MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— A free public education workshop to be held in Charleston, West Virginia, will explore how the state’s communities can respond to the world’s transition to new energy sources and technology.

“Leaving No One Behind: Ensuring a Fair Transition for Workers and Communities” will be held on February 5 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Admission is free, but registration is required for seating. Please visit energy.law.wvu.edu/transition for more information.

The workshop is hosted by the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development at the West Virginia University College of Law, the West Virginia Center on Climate Change, and the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy.

“The nation’s energy industry is undergoing a major transition, and West Virginia is bearing the brunt of it through the loss of coal jobs and the adverse economic impacts in the southern part of the state,“ said James Van Nostrand, director of the Center for Energy and Sustainable Development. “This program will give attendees the chance to learn from top national experts about the economic and political opportunities and obstacles for creating a fair transition for all.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—WVU Law has nominated 3L Amanda Demmerle for the prestigious Burton Distinguished Legal Writing Award for Law Schools.

Demmerle was chosen for her Note, “Pain in the Ash: How Coal-Fired Power Plants are Polluting Our Nation’s Waters Without Consequences,” which was published in the December 2019 West Virginia Law Review (122 W. Va. L. Rev. 289).

A Note is a student-authored academic article that discusses and analyzes a legal issue.

In her Note, Demmerle argues that the Clean Water Act is currently the best way to regulate water pollution caused by coal ash impoundments in the United States. She discusses options within the Clean Water Act, and each option's likelihood of success, to hold coal ash impoundment operators liable and reduce water pollution.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—A team from WVU Law has advanced to the national round of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Trial Advocacy Competition.

Michael Hicks, Lauren Mahaney, Kenshandra Mitchell and Holly Netz, all third-year law students in WVU Law’s Marlyn E. Lugar Trial Association, recently competed in the competition’s regional round in New York City. They won three trials in a row to reach the regional final before falling to St. John’s University School of Law. 

As a New York finalist, WVU Law will now compete against seven other law schools in the national Labor and Employment Trial Advocacy Competition to be held in January in New Orleans.  

>>Read about their out-of-the-ordinary trip to NOLA

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The West Virginia University College of Law has joined a national campaign focused on well-being in the legal profession.

The college is one of the first 26 law schools in the country to sign the American Bar Association's Well-Being Pledge. The program brings attention to ways to improve the health and well-being of lawyers and law students. 

Research shows that lawyers struggle with addiction and mental health problems at rates much higher than the general population and other professionals. To encourage those in need to seek help, WVU Law is working to change attitudes and eliminate bias related to addiction and mental health.

“We are making the wellness and mental health of our students a priority in our programming,” said Tina Jernigan, assistant dean for student life. “The statistics on substance abuse and mental health in the legal field are staggering, and we can no longer accept the status quo. By signing on to the pledge, we are committed to wellness in our student body and the legal profession.”

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—A team from the West Virginia University College of Law recently won the best brief award on the way to a quarterfinal finish in a regional round of the National Moot Court Competition.

The college’s National Moot Court Team is made up of third-year law students Britany Dolan, Emily Ford, Julian Pecora, Garrett Spiker and Chris Weed. They competed in two groups at the National Moot Court Competition Region IV Round held at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in Richmond, Virginia, in November.

Ford, Weed and Pecora won the best brief award, beating teams from 18 law schools from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. It is WVU‘s first best brief award at this competition in more than 20 years.

Spiker and Dolan were among the top eight teams to reach the regional’s quarterfinal round. They are the third WVU Law team in 10 years to advance that far in the National Moot Court Competition.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—Students at the West Virginia University College of Law have helped a U.S. Navy veteran receive a discharge upgrade.

“Our client now qualifies for a range VA benefits including healthcare, disability compensation, pension, and home loans,” said Jed Nolan, director of the Veterans Advocacy Law Clinic.

The client was discharged unfavorably in 1986 after being diagnosed with a mental health condition. Nevertheless, he experienced success in school and work following the discharge, according to Nolan

The clinic requested the veteran’s discharge status be upgraded to “General, Under Honorable” because the behavior that led to his discharge was a direct result of service-related issues. Students in the clinic also argued that the discharge upgrade was in the interest of justice because the Navy had failed to provide him with adequate treatment, which impacted his ability to serve. This fall, the Board of Naval Corrections concurred.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— West Virginia University is expanding its presence in Charleston, leasing two floors in Equities House, a central downtown office building that will become home to several University offices in the state’s capital city.

“Charleston is the business and cultural heart of West Virginia,” said President Gordon Gee. “While West Virginia University has always been in the Charleston region in some capacity, this new venture provides a consolidated and multi-faceted presence that will allow the University to serve its constituents better and create a base of operations that will greatly benefit the region and the state.”

The University’s College of Law, WVU Extension Service and John Chambers College of Business and Economics will occupy the 19,000 square foot space.

Gregory Bowman, the William J. Maier Jr. dean of the College of Law, sees a lot of potential for an expanded WVU location in Charleston.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.—The law firm of Bailey, Javins, & Carter, L.C. has given $200,000 to the Moot Court Board at WVU Law.

The gift will benefit law students who are preparing for their careers by competing in moot court competitions. It will help pay for expenses such as training, programming and travel.

“Lee Javins, J.R. Carter and I received wonderful legal educations at the WVU College of Law and we wanted to give something back,” said attorney Tim Bailey. “By competing at the highest levels of moot court competition, students gain valuable experience they will take with them as they begin their careers. Sponsoring the Moot Court Board is a unique opportunity for Bailey, Javins, & Carter to help our law school.”

Bailey is a member of the WVU Law Class of 1991; Javins is a member of the Class of 1994; and Carter is a member of the Class of 2005.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – For the next two years, Tanya Karwaki will teach and mentor law students and conduct legal research in health care issues as the first Health Law Fellow at WVU Law.

“I am excited to work in this position because it permits me to share my experience in health law and policy with WVU law students,” said Karwaki. “Health law is a dynamic, complex, heavily regulated and important subject area with broad societal impact and potential for rewarding legal careers. It is important to consider and develop legal frameworks that may facilitate the contemporary practice of pharmacy and increased access to quality health care.”

This semester, Karwaki is teaching a seminar on law and policy of medical drugs for second- and third-year students. While on Law School Hill, Karwaki is also continuing her research on the role of law in improving access to health care, the legal challenges created by the globalization of health care, and innovations in pharmacy law. 

Karwaki comes to WVU Law from the University of Washington, where she taught in the school of law and in the pharmacy program. She holds expertise in drug law, health care professionalism, pharmacy law and health policy.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.— Attorney Melissa Giggenbach has been named director of the West Virginia Innocence Project Law Clinic at the West Virginia University College of Law.

Staffed by law students, the clinic provides free legal representation for the wrongfully incarcerated with many cases involving new DNA or other scientifically-gathered evidence. The West Virginia Innocence Project also advocates for policy reform, including safeguards for forensic techniques and eyewitness identification.

“The West Virginia Innocence Project is committed to pursuing justice for all,” Giggenbach said. “There are many people serving sentences for crimes they did not commit, and rather than treat them as casualties of the justice system, the West Virginia Innocence Project sees them as the wrongfully incarcerated who deserve their rights to equal justice and due process. Ultimately, our work makes the justice system stronger.”

Giggenbach has been affiliated with the West Virginia Innocence Project since 2013 when she joined the clinic as an adjunct lecturer. Before that, she worked in solo practice and in the Preston County Public Defender Office. She is a 1999 graduate of WVU Law.